.....................

[C.Ann]

...........

 

[hiwaygal]

Depending on the severity of the herniation, it is possible very little will be done.

When mine were discovered, the first thing was to try the epidural cortisone steroid injection. I think they'll do as many as three within a year (with at least a few weeks inbetween). My pain got A LOT worse the first two weeks after the injection, but then it kinda eased off.

Is your daughter experiencing numbness in her feet/legs? Usually it takes that obvious evidence of potential nerve damage before a doctor will do the surgery.

In many cases, the doctors may do nothing. Usually the pain eases off to much more tolerable levels after a few weeks. But those problems will ALWAYS be there...just sort of hovering.

Has your DD seen a neurosurgeon? I would suggest that specialty to see what can be done for her. And I wish her lots of luck...herniated discs are quite painful and I wouldn't wish that "life" on anyone.

 

[disneynutt1225]

I herniated a disc almost 3 years ago in my lower back (my L4). It was a workman's comp case and initally they were just treating me for a pulled muscle, but since my pain kept escalating instead of getting better they decided to do the MRI. Bunch of idiots, but don't get me started on that one!

Anyway, they finally discovered my disc and sent me to physical therapy. I wound up being out of work off and on for 6 months because when I'd get better enough to go back to work, I'd go back and end up hurting myself in some way (I worked in daycare and I hurt my back lifting a child). I think I did the PT for all of those 6 months.

I'm still not 100% - I still have limits to what I can and can't do sometimes. It's a pain, literally. But, I wasn't a candidate for surgery because I was only 22 at the time and the doctors said it was way to young to be operating on my back.

 

[luvmy2sams]

I had a herniated disc at L4-L5 last year. It took my original primary care doctor 6 months to order an MRI, and then she still said I wouldn't need surgery, but she referred me to a neurosurgeon so I could get physical therapy of some kind. The surgeon immediately said I was a prime surgery candidate, and I immediately switched to a different primary care physician. I spent each day hooked up to a portable TENS unit and couldn't stand up straight without walking on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes. Sometimes I would spend literally hours on the treadmill, walking no faster than 1.0 mph. I had sciatica down my left side, and it was the worst pain I have ever experienced. Once I got with a decent doctor it took a little over a month before I could get in for the surgery. The surgery itself took less than 30 minutes, and I woke up from the anesthesia pain free and remain so to this day.

I do hope your DD is able to find some relief. Back pain is horrible!

 

[C.Ann]

Anyway, they finally discovered my disc and sent me to physical therapy. I wound up being out of work off and on for 6 months because when I'd get better enough to go back to work, I'd go back and end up hurting myself in some way (I worked in daycare and I hurt my back lifting a child). I think I did the PT for all of those 6 months..

--------------------------

This is NOT good news.. She works in a residential group home for troubled teenage girls and often has to be involved in restraints..

 

[C.Ann]

..

 

[hiwaygal]

------------------------

Yes - she has numbness in her leg - and the doctor she chose to see for the 2nd opinion is a neurosurgeon.. However, she will now seek a 2nd opinion from another neurosugeon to find out what her options are..

My guess is the neuro "should" check for any signs of weakness in her foot or lack of reflexes.

I would definitely encourage 2nd, 3rd, or 4th opinions...some doctors are more resistant to doing surgery. Especially if your DD is quite young. My neuro told me after my surgery that I didn't get a "better back" I got a weaker back. I will never be completely without pain, but at least I can handle it (usually) with advil.

My neuro was fantastic...wish you lived around here so you could see them!

 

[C.Ann]

..

 

[disneynutt1225]

Dumb question, but...why a neuro? I went to see an orthopedist for my back injury.

 

[Kaybee]

She needs an EMG to determine nerve damage to her lower extremities. If it shows significant damage she needs to have surgery. This happened to my DH and he opted to wait but finally went in and had the lumbar laminectomy done and has never had a back problem since. He suffered so long he said for no reason. Those months of therapy did nothing!! Now he is glad he had it done. He was off work though a good 6 weeks. Back pain in an awful thing. Good luck to your daughter.

 

[escape]

C.Ann,

In the meantime, below is a link from www.spineuniverse.com that my husband thought useful before having his surgery for a herniated disc.

Herniated Disc and Slipped Disc Condition Center

Sending well wishes and pixie dust to your daughter!

 

[Jeafl]

Here's some encouraging news for you C. Ann.

I have not only a herniated, but a BROKEN disc in my back (L4-L5). One third of it actually broke off. It was the most incredible pain I have ever felt in my life. I also had numbness down my hip and leg and my foot was useless. I saw an orthopedic surgeon who referred me to a neurosurgeon who said I needed immediate surgery.

This was on a Friday, and I was scheduled for surgery on the following Tuesday. The day before the surgery I got another opinion from another neurosurgeon. The second doctor gave me a Medrol dose pack, which is basically a course of steroids that you take over a 5-day period. After the first dose I felt incredible relief! So much so, that I went home and canceled the surgery.

It has been 4 years now, and although my disc is still broken, and I may need
surgery sometime in the future, I am basically pain free. It is definitely worth asking about anyway.

 

[LBAK]

I herniated 3 discs last spring and I had PT. I was back at work in 8 weeks. I still have ongoing problems with this. I was told if I had any numbness though to come back ASAP. Please look into another opinion, the numbness would scare me.

 

[lUVTOGO]

I have 2 herniated discs and I had the three series of shots in my back. The first 2 didn't work but by the time they did the 3rd one I was feeling much better. I also had 8 weeks of physical therapy. This was over 5 years ago and I have to say my back hurts here and there and I do a lot of heavy lifting at work but nothing compared to the pain I had 5 years ago.

 

[anewvance]

I haven't read the other posts but wanted to offer hugs to your daughter because i've been there too..

I have 2 herniated discs in my back and no, they really don't do anything about them. I went to physical therepy for awhile but it really wasn't helping much. They offered pain management which basicially they stick a needle in your back to inject pain meds straight to the spine and I said no way (i'd had 3 epidurals which I hated with my kids and a spinal tap for headaches which resulted in the worst spinal headache ever so they had to go back in and do another needle in there to patch the hole with my blood. And they wanted me to go in monthly to get one of these? Nope, would rather live in pain. I do exercises before I get out of bed everday and things have been pretty good in the past 18 months since ds was born, barely much pain at all.

But I was in the car accident a month ago and ripped a ligament in my knee and severely sprained my foot and hurt my neck so i'm headed back into physical therepy 3 times a week for 6 weeks for this stuff, aye... such a pain! Luckily after the first few days, my back didn't give me much trouble from the accident.

Good luck to your daughter... see what the doctor wants to do. I've heard if you can help it, you really don't want people going into your back.. you're never quite the same again after. Try physical therepy, it works for most people.

 

[DMRick]

I've got two that I'm still working through. It took a lot of rest, pain pills, steroid shots (one of them I fainted so nicely, that the ortho doc caught me and never stopped giving the injection..he said it happened a lot) vioxx, and PT, but I was able to put off the surgery, against the doc's advice. It's been almost two years now, and I must have turned wrong, because I'm just starting to feel the tingle. I doubt she will be able to go back to restraining teenagers. The thought if it makes my back twinge. Even if she eventually becomes pain free, that's prob not suggested work.

On the other hand my hubby was in the hospital for several weeks 30 years ago, when his disc herniated. They weren't so fast to do surgery back then, and he was put in traction and had PT. He came home about 30 pounds lighter, and did exercises for a long time.He was out of work for 6 months and GE assigned him a helper for the next six months. He's been mostly pain free (except when he does something stupid) since.

Man, that other car must have really smacked her big time..unless she already had this, and it brought it to the front! Please pass on to her, that I hope she quickly feels better. I had a lot of up time (nights with no sleep) and one night at 2 am I called the doc's service and told him I was ready for surgery the next day. He tried some different shots, and that got me past that day. These back problems are a real pain...literally.
I hope your daughter is one of those who heal quickly.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks for all of the replies.. ..

 

[Chris and Pooh]

I have been suffering with Sciatica caused byL4 and L5 discs since June last year I have had an MRI to determine the problem and then 3 epidurals with limited success, I finally had surgery on February 28th and the Neurosurgeon performed a double discectomy which has been 99% successful and I can now walk normally without pain just a strange numb,tingling in some of toes of my left foot, hope to be returning to work again soon after 4 months at home.

Very good luck, I hope all goes well Ive been there and I know how you are suffering

 

[minkydog]

I went through this last fall, herniated the last two discs in my spine. I couldn't believe how bad the pain was! All the way down my leg! OMG I was very worried about the recovery but I found that doing the PT religiously, icing the back, and keeping off my butt made all the difference. Sitting was nearly impossible for about 2 wks, but I was able to get back to work within 4 wks--of course, I had limited duties but I was on the job.

I cannot stress enough how much my outcome was dependent on the PT. I went in for PT twice a week, but I did my home program several times a day for weeks. Thankfully, I never needed any injections or surgery(and it was badly herniated.) Six months later, I will occasionally feel a twinge and I go right back to those exercises. I never want to feel that pain again!

 

[LuvN~Travel]

My first herniated disk came in 1988. The doc kept me on meds for about two months and physical therapy for three weeks. The pt really helped me then along with the meds. And over the years i've had a few relapses, but I've found that if the chiropractor keeps those bones in proper alignment it cuts down on the relapses a lot! And this disk is in the lower back.
However, my latest on came in December, and i think it is a royal pain in the you know where. It is in the neck area, and is causing a major pinched nerve.
I've been through physical therapy for it, and even now have a tens unit at home to work with it.

The regular doctor i saw at first didn't seem to want to give me a lot of meds. He did try me on steroids the first week, but then we went to pt instead.
He definitely didn't want me to get hooked on the meds apparently, talk about stingy! But, I've talked to the neuro doctor since then (who he recommended me to), and he will give me another prescription if i need it. And, unfortunately, it looks like i may need it soon!
Right now, it acts up at the oddest things.

The worst thing though for me still is driving. Do you know how difficult it is to get your Christmas shopping done with that pain? lol And, at the time my dh was not much help with that since he couldn't see much at night. ( he had lasik eye surgery last year and didn't have the enhancements done until a few weeks ago)

As far as my job goes, I've managed to make it so far. I did lose a fews days during the holidays, but since my daughter was sick (and on FMLA) i was definitely ready to 'volunteer' to be the one to stay with her then.
I might have to go on FMLA in the future though, and I'm not happy with that.
At least i can get my customers to help with the heavy packages. I just let them take it back and put it in the hamper for me. They've been pretty good about that.

My doc did tell me that for now we would do the pt first, then the shots, if needed and most likely down the road, surgery.
I'm hoping at least to be able to save some leave from this year to add to next year if needed. Thankfully i get five weeks yearly since i have so many years in.
Tell your daughter i truly feel for her. It is a pain!
Kim